“We believe our employees made a decision that is in their best interest and that of our customers,” says Scott Albers, director of human resources. “This decision, by our employees, improves our ability to compete and grants us greater flexibility to pursue innovative processes in the future. We look to the future with great anticipation and excitement.” Dominic Truniger, Hurd’s president, adds that the vote demonstrates employees’ confidence in the direction of the company, as well as their role in its success. “This deunionization permits us to proactively make decisions and diversify production so that Hurd can address the challenges of a volatile housing market,” he says. “We are very optimistic about our future.”

Hurd, owned by parent company Monarch Holdings Inc., announced last fall the permanent cut of more than 100 jobs at the Merrill facility. The custom wood window and door manufacturer is headquartered in Medford, Wis.